Italy v Uruguay Betting Preview
The third place play off is the the undercard to the final of the Confederations Cup itself on Sunday. This actually has the promise of being a good match on paper, however, it could ultimately suffer from the heat and the two sides having played a lot of matches. It could even lead to some personnel changes in the starting line ups. This match may struggle to get up to full speed because of the temperatures and exertions already put out, and nothing riding on the match. Only eleven places in the FIFA World Rankings separate the two sides, and it should be an evenly matched game out on the pitch.

Italy v Uruguay Betting Odds at online bookmaker Ladbrokes
Uruguay 13/8, Italy 6/4, draw 12/5

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There will be more focus on the final itself of course between Brazil v Spain. Brazil’s young star Neymar has been one of the headline grabbing acts so far. If Neymar scores the first of last goal of the Fina against Spain, then online betting site Ladbrokes will refund all losing bets placed on the Correct Score, First Goalscorer and Scorecast markets. This provides great coverage at Ladbrokes who offer up to three free £10 bets as a welcome bonus.

Italy v Uruguay Recommended Bet:
The two nations will try and pick up the pieces of semi final disappointments. Overall in the 2013 Confederations Cup, Italy have produced the better quality football of the two nations playing off for third place. Not only did they push Brazil hard in their group decider, but then took World Champions Spain all the way to a penalty shoot out and they had their chances to take the win too. Coach Cesare Prandelli deserves huge credit for some brilliant tactical awareness throughout the tournament and he has gotten the best out of his squad. They have just fallen short when it has matter most, but it hasn’t been for the want of trying. They have been unlucky, hitting the woodwork seven times in the tournament, but they are an expansive side who likes to attack and they work tremendously hard in closing down opponents.

The exhausting semi final against Spain won’t have helped their cause at all, as they looked pretty much out on their feet during extra time. They left everything out on the pitch, hanging in there with Spain being the stronger finisher of the two sides. But they have their strengths, they like to get forward and they are very resilient. They are without main striker Mario Balotelli, so Stephan El Shaarawy is likely to get a start. Overall, they have been better than Uruguay during the tournament, but it is the South Americans who are favourites. The extra day of rest that Uruguay have had, could be telling in the end. Uruguay were undone by a late Brazil goal in their semi final match up. Coach Oscar Tabarez is still trying to get the best out of his side, who still haven’t been able to piece everything together tactically.

They have never really looked all that threatening, but did get Brazil on the back foot for a while in their semi final. For some reason they can’t find more goals, and they look a bit hesitant to really commit to too much going forward. The coach will now have to make a decision about keeping Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan together up front, with the production from them being pretty low. While Italy have had less rest, for Uruguay, this will be their 7th match in the last 25 days, so they have been busy. They perhaps will want this more, for nothing more than confidence. They have a bigger focus on trying to get back to Brazil next summer, their qualification still in doubt. La Celeste looked a world beating side when they claimed the 2011 Copa America, but it’s been downhill since. Following that win against Italy in November of 2011, La Celeste have won just six of nineteen matches since.

This may just all play out to nothing more than a battle of fitness, as opposed to being the great game of football that it could have been. The South Americans may just have the edge and therefore a Draw/Uruguay half time/full time bet for value of 5/1 at online betting site Ladbrokes.

In the Italy v Uruguay head to head, there have been seven previous meetings, and the tally stands at two wins apiece. This will be their first ever Confederations Cup meeting. The last time they came together was in that 2011 friendly meeting, where Italy were being punished for being wasteful in front of goal.

Stat Attack
Edinson Cavani has just six goals in his last 28 appearances for his country
Italy became the first team in 16 games to keep a clean sheet against Spain
Italy have hit the woodwork seven times in the tournament, half of the 14 in total by all teams

Spain v Italy Betting Preview
An all-European semi final to complement the first semi final of the 2013 Confederations Cup which will be between Brazil and Uruguay on Wednesday. Spain v Italy kicks off on Thursday, and it is the reigning World and European champions who are strong favourites to take this meeting after progressing to the knockouts without too many scares. However, Italy may be buoyed after their performance against Brazil, which they lost but had the host nation rattled over the ninety minutes. But their chances have been hit with the loss of the in-form Mario Balotelli to injury.

Spain v Italy Betting Odds at online bookmaker Bet Victor
Spain 4/11, Draw 7/2, Italy 7/1

Online bookmaker Promotion
There is some insurance to take on all Confederations Cup betting at online betting site Bet Victor. Their promotion comes in the form of a Red Card Refund. If any player is shown a red card in a Confederations Cup match, then the bookie will refund all losing Correct Score, First Goalscorer, last Goalscorer, Scorecast and Half Time/Full Time bets on that particular match up a maximum of £25. There is up to a free £25 bet available for new customers registering an account with online betting site Bet Victor, as the bookie will match the value of your first settled bet on an account.

Spain v Italy Recommended Bet:
Can anyone stop Spain at the moment on their long unbeaten streak? Even host nation Brazil themselves may struggle against Spain if they meet in the final. Spain have gotten the job done professionally and efficiently so far in getting to the knockout stage, and you always get the feeling that there is even more to come. They opened up the 2013 Confederations Cup with a 2-1 win over Uruguay, before hitting Tahiti for ten thanks to heavy input from Fernando Torres and David Villa. That left them to face the challenge of Nigeria in their final group match, ending just a point to secure top spot. They got all three as it happened, taking a 3-0 victory. However, the African side did have some chances to get Spain rattled, but some poor finishing again hurt the Super Eagles. However, there is always an air of confidence that Spain will find a goal from somewhere, that they can find another gear if they have to.

Their next test now will come against Italy, who they beat in the final of Euro 2012 of course, convincingly too, by a 4-0 scoreline. Are we all being set up for a massive Spain v Brazil clash in the final here? Spain just have great options, plenty of depth which they can call upon, and who integrate into the side seamlessly, so that they don’t miss a bit. Fernando Torres has looked confident in front of goal for them, and actually without Xabi Alonso, they have looked a bit more dynamic and keen to get forward from the middle of the pitch as well. Their possession game is there, but they will be challenged by Italy. Just as Spain like to annoy opponents by a high pressing game, Italy do the same thing. The loss of lone striker Balotelli could be costly to them though. Especially if they can’t get Andrea Pirlo back in the middle of the pitch, because they missed the old master against Brazil.  Italy though can take a lot of heart from their performance against Brazil, because they could have tied the match up at 3-3, being stopped by the crossbar only, before the host nation killed the game off to make it 4-2.

Still, Cesare Prandelli’s men never stopped pushing and did find some control in the middle of the park as well. Are Spain better in the midfield area than Brazil though? Yes, by far, so Italy may need to adapt. Prandelli has already said that he needs his side to get more compact and that the absence of lone striker Balotelli may force a tactical change. Italy are good on the break, they can get forward at pace, but really need the precision of Pirlo, who makes a huge difference to their balance. Even with the positives that Italy have produced, if not defensively, but going forward, all betting still has to lean towards Spain at the end of the day. This is the business end of a tournament and that is usually when they get even better.

The Spain v Italy head to head is evenly split at eight wins apiece from 27 encounters. They met twice last year at Euro 2012, producing a 1-1 draw in the group stage and then the Spaniards running out 4-0 winners when they met in the final again. In actual competitive tournament matches, Italy have won three of eight meetings at the European Championships and World Cup. Half of those eight matches ended in draws though, which means that Italy have the upper hand 3-2 in tournament matches.

Italy v Brazil Betting Preview
Although both sides have already booked their passage through to the semi finals of the 2013 Confederations Cup, there is still importance on this game. While this is a scrap for top spot in Group A, there is a big prize attached to that. The winner will likely avoid having to play Spain in the semi finals, and therefore chances of reaching the final for these two will be increased. Both Brazil and Italy have won their opening group matches heading to Salvador to face off. Can Italy get the win they need against the host nation?

Italy v Brazil Betting Odds at online bookmaker Paddy Power
Brazil 8/13, Draw 14/5, Italy 9/2

Online bookmaker Promotion
There is the promise of goals in this one, with both sides looking pretty dangerous going forward, so it’ll be worth looking at online betting site Paddy Power and their Brazil v Italy Money Back Special. If there are more than 3 goals scored in this match, then the bookie will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast single bets placed on the game! There is up to a free £25 bet available for new customers registering an account with Paddy Power, as the bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account.

Italy v Brazil Recommended Bet:
There has been some brilliant play from Neymar, who has been something of an inspirational figure up front for the host nation. After a goal drought for his country, he has come to life and scored a spectacular goal against both Japan and Mexico. The new Barcelona man is certainly a match winner and while Brazil have looked pretty good, and have answered many questions raised about them because of dodgy form heading into the tournament, they haven’t looked real world beaters yet. There is a problem in midfield for them, where they could be exposed at some point. Still, they opened with a 3-0 win over Japan and followed it up with a 2-0 win over Mexico, with late goals in both games inflating the score lines. There has to be positives from the fact that Julio Cesar hasn’t had anything to do between the sticks so far. So perhaps Luiz Felipe Scolari’s men are on the right track, and they are enjoying things in front of their own fans.

Brazil are holding top spot in Group A thanks to their defence and holding a superior goal difference over Italy. It means they can hold on for a draw to get through, whereas Italy have to come out and get a win in order to finish top of the group. This should be a pretty open game because of that and the Italians are capable of pulling off a result here. The Azzurri were very well controlled in their opening win over Mexico and they responded well when on the ropes against Japan. Italy found themselves 2-0 down against the Japanese, before fighting back to take the lead at 3-2. After Japan had tied things up at 3-3 Italy looked as if they had missed their chance, before they were rescued by Mario Balotelli, who has looked excellent up front for the Europeans.

Cesare Prandelli’s men have a very good style about them and there is no reason why they couldn’t match up well against Brazil. Like the Brazilians, Italy are heading in the right direction and this is a great decider that is fitting for their final match of the Group. Italy have a good game plan, and like to press opposition high up the pitch and the Brazilians won’t be used to being put under intense pressure. Italy are also quick on the break like Brazil are too. The South Americans perhaps have the individual flair but that is balanced out by Italy’s superb team ethic. It could be a classic. Good value in the Anytime Goalscorer market with Neymar at Evens and Balotelli at 2/1 with online betting site Paddy Power

Form
Italy WWDDWW, Brazil WDDWWW

The Italy v Brazil head to head makes for some very interesting reading, because gap between them is pretty narrow. There have been fifteen meetings between the two nations before, and Brazil just have the ascendancy 7-5. In those fifteen matches, Brazil have scored 26 goals to Italy’s 21. They have met in the Confederations Cup before, Italy losing 3-0 in a disastrous tournament four years ago. They have already played this year, drawing 2-2 in Geneva and it was a great comeback by Italy after being 2-0 down at half time.

 

Italy v Japan Betting Preview
After securing an opening victory against Mexico, Italy look well on track to book their progress through to the semi finals of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. They seem to be in a very good mood and look a very competent side on the pitch. Their second challenge will vary vastly from their first, as they may have to grind down an industrious Japan side. The Blue Samurai fell to Brazil in their opening match and need to try and register something here in order to keep their own hopes of moving on, alive.

Italy v Japan Betting Odds at online bookmaker Bet365
Italy 4/6, Draw 13/5, Japan 9/2

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Italy v Japan Recommended Bet:
Going based on what the Italians produced in their opening match against Mexico, the European nation will be favourite to get through this. It was a beautifully executed free kick from Andrea Pirlo which opened the scoring, and after conceding an equalising penalty, former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli secured the win. That was an important three points and they should be able to build on it to mount a challenge on Brazil to win the group. The Italians are only at the tournament courtesy of Spain being European and World Champions, and their own finish as runners up at Euro 2012. Winning the group is massively important as it will likely mean avoiding Spain in the semi’s.

Italian coach Cesare Prandelli has made the Italians into a very dynamic, exciting unit. They press high up the pitch and don’t give opponents much time, and they have a terrific blend of youth and experience. Mario Balotelli is in fine form up front and the old master of Pirlo sitting deep in midfield making the whole Azzurri machine tick, is wonderful to watch. They really have all the tools to pull of a big surprise in this tournament. They really need to capitalise here on the quality which they produced in a quite open game against Mexico, to take out the Japanese. The Asian nation worked very hard during their opening match against Brazil. They had their flourishes, they produced some technical, good stuff in the final third of the pitch, but overall they still lacked a certain amount of bite.

They may not have enough goals in them to really challenge here, but they hussle and they harry well. The form of the Blue Samurai wasn’t great coming into the tournament and it is not often they go up against such high quality opposition. Just before heading to Brazil, they actually became the first side to quality for the 2014 World Cup, so they can use this as a big experience for next summer. There is still a lot of work needed to pull them up to really be able to compete, against the likes of Brazil and Italy. The Italians should have the class and composure to dictate this game and take their chances. Japan may be quite resilient in being broken down, but they should crumble.

An Italy/Italy Half Time/Full Time bet for a price of 5/4 looks a decent enough value to warrant a wager at online bookmaker Bet365.

The two nations have only met once before in the Head to Head stats. That meeting was all the way back in 2001, out in Saitama, Japan for an international friendly. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Form
Italy DWWDDW, Japan WLLDWL

Mexico v Italy Betting Preview
Winner of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Mexico take on Italy in Group B of the Confederations Cup. The Italians are there courtesy of finishing as runners up at Euro 2012, the winner of which gains entry into the FIFA tournament. But because Spain won Euro 2012 and are current World Cup holders as well, the Euro 2012 entry spot went to Italy. An interesting match in prospect between two sides who are pretty resilient and both have a solid amount of potential in their ranks.

Mexico v Italy Betting Odds at online bookmaker Bet Victor
Italy 13/10,Draw 9/4, Mexico 5/2

Online bookmaker Promotion
There are two 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup football betting promotions to enjoy at online betting site Bet Victor. If Brazil go on and win the tournament, then the bookmaker will refund all losing Outright Tournament Winner bets as a free bet. The maximum refund is up to £25 per person/household.

Also available is a second promotions running for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. If there is a red card shown during any match of the Confederations Cup, then Bet Victor will refund all losing Half Time/Full Time, Correct Score, First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer and Scorecast bets on that particular match. So great coverage all around and new customers registering an account with Bet Victor can get up to a free £25 bet as a welcome bonus.

Mexico v Italy Recommended Bet:
The Italians will be looking for a return to top form to open their group with. After taking a draw against the Czech Republic in their 2014 World Cup qualification group (a match in which the volatile Mario Balotelli was sent off for two bookings in the space of three minutes), the Italians followed it up with a friendly draw against Haiti. It’s certainly not panic stations though, as Cesar Prandelli’s men are well in control of their Brazil 2014 group ahead of Bulgaria. Italy have a good set up at the moment under Prandelli, and while they excel defensively, they are not a defensive side. They defend high up the pitch in eliminating time and space from their opponents. Not only that, they have great control in the middle of the pitch as the well, with superb ball retention.

The Italians are quite an adventurous side and they have quality with Andrea Pirlo pulling the strings from deep. The young strike duo of Mario Balotelli and Stephan El Shaarawy have the goals and pace to trouble a lot of defences. This is only Italy’s second attempt at the FIFA Confederations Cup, and the last time that they were in attendance four years ago, it was an aging squad which pretty much produced a tournament to forget. They are a totally different side from back then, are currently ranked 8th in the world and will be favourites to beat Mexico, who are a stubborn side themselves, but are struggling for goals.

Mexico are the draw kings of international soccer at the moment. In their last nine matches during 2013, they have drawn eight of them. They opened the year with six draws in a row. In those last nine matches, five of the draws were all goalless. With their failure to convert wins, Mexico have been struggling to get through to the 2014 World Cup, with just one win in six matches. In their last two matches, they have only managed 0-0 draws as well, coming against Panama and Costa Rica. While they have shown a lot of resiliency and potential in their ranks, their level of opposition has not been as high as it will be when they face up to Italy and Brazil. Still, at the end of the day they haven’t conceded a lot of goal, which is a positive, but with just six goals in their last nine games, they are struggling up top. El Tri need to find a better balance and this will be their fifth attempt at the FIFA Confederations Cup.

In the Mexico v Italy head to head, there have been eleven previous match ups. The Italians have won six of them, against a sole triumph for the Mexicans. The goals in the matches stand at 29 to Italy against nine from Mexico. The last time they met, in an International Friendly in Brussels, it was Mexico who took a 2-1 win. The two meetings prior to that had both been 1-1 draws.

Form
Mexico DDDWDD, Italay DDWWDD

The focus will be on some of England’s youngsters for the pre-season friendly in midweek for England v Italy betting. This match may not have come at the right time, just three days before the start of the new Premier League season, which no doubt club managers aren’t happy about. However, England boss Roy Hodgson has kept things diplomatic by selecting a large portion of youngsters, leaving the senior core with their clubs. There is not going to be any importance whatsoever on the match against Italy of course, but it is the only game that England will play before facing Moldova and then the Indiaraine in their World Cup 2014 qualifiers in early September. So this will be a chance for Roy Hodgson to get a look as some of the younger fringe players, who could have important roles to play in a couple of years, if England make it to Brazil 2014.

This is England’s first match since they went out of Euro 2012 against Italy in a penalty shoot out. England managed just one shot on target to Italy’s eight in that match, and the Three Lions were second best throughout the entire ninety minutes and the thirty of extra time as well. Stuck in their 4-4-2 formation, they couldn’t get their foot on the ball and they couldn’t stop Andrea Pirlo from running the show from deep with his immaculate range of passing vision. So hopefully with the younger England players getting a look in, there will be a bit more adventure to come from the Three Lions in England v Italy betting, which is being played in Berne, Switzerland. England aren’t on a bad run of form, keeping eight clean sheets in their last twelve matches, but against Italy, things don’t read to brightly for the Three Lions. England have won just one of the last ten matches against Italy.

Coming into the England squad are call ups for Chelsea’s Ryan Bertrand and Daniel Sturridge, while Tottenham’s Jake Livermore and Steven Caulker get a look in as well. Tom Cleverly gets a spot in the squad, along with youngsters Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, new Man City signing Jack Rodwell and Tottenham’s Kyle Walker who missed out on Euro 2012 because of injury. Swinging the other way, there was a surprise call up for Manchester Unite d’s Michael Carrick along with with Chelsea’s Frank Lampard. Up front, Roy Hodgson has called up Liverpool’s Andy Carroll, Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe and Arsenal’s Theo Walcott to join Sturridge. So there should be a pretty youthful England side on show, which can only bode well for the future. It should provide a lot more energy and creativity pushing forward that what was visible at Euro 2012 anyway.

Italy are doing much the same thing as England, but they look a decent squad still, with Man City’s Mario Balotelli getting the nod for the match. There are no Juventus or Napoli players because oft their Supercoppa meeting. While Italy boss Cesare Prandelli is resting some of his regular players, there is still a spattering of good talent with the likes of Alessandro Diamanti and Antonio Nocerino in the middle of the park. In total, Italy have named eight uncapped players to take to Switzerland.

England v Italy Betting Odds at online bookmaker Bet365
England 6/4, Italy 13/8, Draw 2/1

England v Italy Prediction: This should be a youthful, inexperienced meeting between the two sides, which means that it will probably be more entertaining than if the two seniors sides were coming together Having to travel to Switzerland and with players having focus on their new domestic seasons though, neither side really look as if they have an edge, so covering a draw may well be worth looking at. Really nothing to chose between them, so an England -0.5 Asian Handicap for 27/20 at online bookmaker Bet365 looks as if it could bring some value.

 

Northern Ireland V Italy

Friday, 8th October – 19:45 GMT
Venue: Windsor Park, Belfast
TV Coverage: Sky Sports HD1

 

Northern Ireland

Group C Position: 3rd
Group C Form: W

After near misses in qualifying for both the 2008 Euro Championships and 2010 FIFA World Cup, Northern Ireland are eager to go one better this time around and are well on their way to achieving their goal following a sensational result on their first outing in what is a difficult Group C. However, the difficult part of the group derives mostly from the presence of former European champs Italy, who top the group above NI and victory in Belfast would send them well on their way to the finals by further enhancing their position at the top of the standings – The one and only available automatic entry into Poland & Indiaraine.

With the Italians on a high following back-to-back wins over Estonia and the Faroe Islands, who are two of the weaker teams in the group but it is two banana skins down for Italy where Northern Ireland find themselves having to jump similar obstacles later on. For now, though, they must somehow foil Italy’s perfect record in the group at a venue where the Irish have claimed many a scalp down the years. Just two years ago they beat Spain 3-2 via a delightful David Healy hat-trick, with the Spanish later going on to win the tournament altogether (Euro 2008), while four years ago they claimed arguably their best result in any qualifier; a 1-0 win over bitter foe England, once again via a David Healy goal.

You could argue that so long as David Healy starts on Friday, there’s every chance of a shock occurring. Of course, it would be foolish to discount the efforts of the rest of the team but it has been his calm and composed presence in front of goal over the years which has helped Northern Ireland build a reputation as being a giantkiller. Their victory over Slovenia doesn’t quite rate as highly as some of their previous high profile success but it was vitally important to their cause nonetheless in a game few, including ourselves, expected them to get anything from yet they did, and punters are likely to be in a similar mindset on Friday when the big named Italians come strolling through Windsor Park.

Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington, who has performed minor miracles with the country’s football team during a three-year spell, has received a hefty blow in the form of Celtic ace Pat McCourt withdrawing from the squad, and thus ruling him out of the Italy game, with injury. Court is a player who possess the ability to go past his defensive marker with ease, has plenty of tricks in his locker and knows how to finish a dazzling run with a composed finish. His absence in the side will be sorely missed, and we mean that. So, with that, it looks as though the role of hero falls upon David Healy’s lap once again, although Ireland’s saviour has been out of sorts recently, scoring just once during his loan spell with Ipswich Town, and so expecting him to score against the Italians could actually be a bridge too far, dare we say it.

 

Italy

Group C Position: 1st
Group C Form: WW

The Italian national football team was a mess when former Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli took over the reigns from Marcello Lippi, with the latter having left his successor with a team not even good enough to make the knock-out of the World Cup in South Africa, and also with an ageing squad. However, Prandelli has quickly got down to business, freshening the squad up with some younger blood but also steadying the ship with some satisfactory results in important fixtures, even if those matches were ‘easy’ on paper.

Cesare Prandelli’s first competitive game in charge of the Azzurri was against an Estonia side ranked 85 in the world compared to Italy’s 13, which is far too mediocre a ranking for the likes of Italy, who are former winners of this very competition as well as four-time winners of the World Cup, so supporters back home in Italy have every right to demand much more from their side. However, fans were nearly treated to another horror show from their players when Estonia defied the odds to take a first half lead into the break. Fortunately, Antonio Cassano and Leonardo Bonucci spared Prandelli’s blushes with goals in the second half and thus ensured the Italians would at least begin qualifying in the right frame of mind with a winning result even if the performance certainly wasn’t up to scratch or Italian standards.

Much like England in many ways, whoever takes charge of the Italy national team is always carrying a huge weight of expectancy upon their shoulders. A country with all the necessary inventory to perform well in the major tournaments. And while supporters will have every right to feel aggrieved about how their side began qualifying, the fact they sit atop of the group following victories over Estonia and the Faroe Islands, the latter in such a comprehensive manner that surely a great deal of confidence will have seeped back into the Italians’ veins, should at least keep them sweet, for now at least.

Defeat in Northern Ireland is an unthinkable result for both Prandelli and supporters alike. However, there’s no getting away from the fact that this is a relatively new regime Italy are under, still going through a transition in many respects, and if Italy are going to fall before they jump then this fixture in Northern Ireland against a renowned giantkiller could be it. Whatever happens, it will certainly ask questions about the character of this new look Italian side, like can they win crucial qualifiers away from home in hostile venues against sides who can actually play decent football, unlike Estonia who they faced first time out.

 

Match Prediction: Italy to WIN – 1.75 WilliamHill

I understand how poignant, perhaps even intimidating a venue Windsor Park has been over the years but this fresh looking Italian side with boast a great deal of hunger and determination to not only impress the new boss but also to restore some pride to Italian football with a smooth ride through qualifying. My only concern lye’s with their defence in that it isn’t as experienced as previous Italian back lines. Then again it isn’t anywhere near as old nor close to dormant status, so the fresh set of legs at the back could actually be a huge positives should they get it spot on mentally.

The factor which swung it for us was the selection of Sampdoria forward Antonio Cassano. What Prandelli has here is a player with tonnes of character, a player who gives absolutely everything to the cause while he’s also a nifty finisher. Cassano’s international career has been blighted by his temperamental attitude, a feisty sort to put it lightly, but supporters would argue that fighting spirit and gusto has been missing from their team for some time now and well, Cassano has an abundance of both. Plus, he’s in scoring form of late after beginning the season with four goals in six games.

Soccer-Betting Value Bet: Antonio Cassano First Goalscorer – 6.50 VCBet

 

Match Odds:

Northern Ireland – 3.75 Ladbrokes
Draw – 5.80 bWin
Italy – 1.75 WilliamHill

Slovakia v Italy

Kick-off: Thursday, 24th June – 15:00 GMT
Stadium: Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
Group E

Slovakia

Italy, the defending World Champions are in danger of falling at the first hurdle, after a surprising 1-1 draw against World Cup minnows New Zealand. That draw followed an opening match with Paraguay which also ended in a tie for the Italians, leaving them on just two points from their two matches. They are now at great risk of falling as they take on the Slovakians, who have a lot to prove themselves. The situation in which the Italians find themselves, is actually not as bad as that of the French or the English. This is because Italy are in second place, and a draw against Slovakia could well be enough to see them through. That will not be a satisfactory result for coach Marcelo Lippi though, as the Italians need a spark of inspiration in their attack. They are level on two points with the New Zealanders, who have earned themselves two battling draws against Italy and Slovakia, and, with a win themselves would put them into the next round. There is a lot at stake still in Group F, as Slovakia, despite only picking up one point from their two matches. A win over Italy would put them through to the next round in this tight, tight group.

Italy have not had the conviction up front, and that could be their downfall in the defence of their World Cup title. A goal keeping error gave them a goal in their first match against Paraguay, and then a slightly dubious penalty against New Zealand gave them the clear opportunity to equalise. Will Lippi hit the panic button and shake things up drastically? Ironically it is not their supposed aging legs which has been their downfall, it has been the relative inexperience in the front line which is failing them. There is a lack of cohesion between the midfield and the strikers, and they are simply not creating enough clear cut chances. They look to be playing an up tempo game, and Lippi has gone with an attacking 4-3-3 formation in the two matches. But, the goals are not coming. Italy look below par as whole, but nothing a good win couldn’t fix, and the old Italian way of scraping through these group stages may come into effect again. They have not been impressive, but they have not been terrible either. After being expected to blow the New Zealanders away, Italian fans will be biting their nails just a little bit.

Lippi has faith in his side, and the players which he selected to take with him to the World Cup. They will be hopeful that key midfield man Andrea Pirlo makes a hasty return to action, as he will be able to add some creativity to the team. Overall the Italians have not been bad, they just have not been great. They are passing the ball around well enough, just lacking some precision in a final pass and getting the ball into the box. If they are going to successfully defend their title, they know they have to step up their game, but the thing about the Italians, is that as long as they are in it, they will always have a chance. They need a strong performance against a Slovakia side which has really yet to fire, and then start building momentum from there.

Slovakia

One defeat and one draw has left Slovakia bottom in Group F, but still in with a chance of making it through to the last sixteen of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. For that to happen, they need to cause a major upset by defeating Italy in their final game. That would not only send Slovakia through, but would eliminate the world champions from South Africa 2010. Slovakia were outplayed in their second group match by Paraguay, and they can have no arguments about the result. The South Americans were a much stronger side and deservedly won the match. This will make qualification fro Slovakia all that much harder as they will need to pick themselves up. They would have hoped to have been in a little bit of a better position come this stage of proceedings, after winning their European qualification group, and promising to make an impact in the competition. The defeat against Paraguay, and the late equaliser which they conceded against New Zealand, has really put them back in the race. They will have seen how Italy have been playing though, and will fancy their chances. There is nothing left to lose for them so they will have to go for it, and show some of the qualities which got them to the World Cup Finals in the first place.

Match Verdict – Italy win 1.62 at Ladbrokes

It will be time for the real Italy to stand up and be counted. While they could get through with a draw, they will be looking for more as a confidence booster. They do not look too short of being a good team, they just need to be sharper up front. Slovakia will probably have more of a go than they have in any other game as the pressure will be off them. Not Italy, the pressure really is on them, and it is times like this you see them pull through.

Betting Odds
Slovakia – 7.0 at Victor Chandler
Draw – 4/1 at Bet365
Italy – 1.62 at Ladbrokes

FootballBookmakers.info Value Bet – Vincenzo Iaquinta Anytime Goalscorer 3.0 at Bet365

 

Current Slovakia V Italy Odds:

 

Italy v New Zealand

Kick-off: Sunday, 20th June – 15:00 GMT
Stadium: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Referee: Carlos Batres (Guatemala)
Group F

Italy

The defending World Champions should be able to start to show that they can grow in stature, after escaping from their first match of the tournament, relatively unscathed. They had to enact a little comeback, after Paraguay had taken the lead against them, but the Italians showed that old familiar Italian way of snatching something out of nothing. They go into this match without the experience of Gianluigi Buffon between the sticks, as he has been ruled out of action with an injury sustained in the Paraguay match. That means Federico Marchetti will get his chance, after only making his international debut just over twelve months ago against Northern Ireland. The Cagliari keeper has toiled long and hard in the lower divisions of the Italian domestic scene, but impressive performances has seen national coach Marcelo Lippi show some faith in him. Granted, with the opposition being New Zealand in their next Group F fixture, Marchetti should, if things go plan, have a comfortable ride in net on his full World Cup start.

The absence of Buffon will not really take anything away from the Italian game, although he was part of the experienced backbone in Lippi’s team. Italy, despite all the media attention on them, are not the oldest team at the World Cup, with England and Brazil showing them up in that department. They may not have the speed of the Argentineans and the Spaniards, but that does not mean they do not have the legs to go deep into the competition. Notorious for being slow starters in tournament football, the Italians know how to build momentum, and it is not about coming out of the blocks with all guns firing and then hitting the wall. There is steady progress to be made and the Italians, with their economical and efficient style of football, are probably the experts at doing this. They are happy with knocking the ball around, and playing at a steady pace, and even sitting back and soaking up pressure. Against the Kiwis, they should have plenty of time to do this, and that will avoid them getting drawn into a tough tackling midfield battle.

Do not take too much from the draw they got out of the first match, if you are thinking that they are looking vulnerable. That was just their opening forays, and while they didn’t exact a lot of control over the game, even though they looked light in midfield and up front in terms of quality and sharpness, there was enough on display to show that they will steadily improve. They are missing their main man in midfield, Andrea Pirlo, but he should be back after the New Zealand match. That will automatically make them a better side when he returns, but with a relatively inexperience front line, the Italians will need a little time to grow. They are not as good as they were four years ago, but if World Cup history has taught us anything, it is that the Italians are happy to scrape and edge their way through matches, even if there is a huge sacrifice in style. They are one of the few teams at the World Cup, especially from the strong European nations, which would be immensely happy with a 1-0 victory over minnows New Zealand. That is their style, that is their way.

New Zealand

The All Whites will have been immensely satisfied and elated with their late, late show in their World Cup opener against Slovakia. They went into that match as underdogs, and that was exactly the way the game went. The Kiwis were outplayed and resulted mainly in firing long balls up the pitch, largely due to the lack of quality in the midfield to get the ball forward. They were never going to be as technically good as the Slovakians, but they battled well and showed some resilience. They long assaults on the Slovakian defence paid off right at the death in stoppage time, as they snatched a dramatic late equaliser. They will be happy with their point, because they were largely outplayed and the game realistically should have been out of their reach long before that.

This is only the second world cup appearance by New Zealand, and only playing matches against Oceania sides, they have a long way to go to reach the standards of even the European minnows. That is not to take anything away from their graft and determination, and they seem to enjoy their underdog role and are not short of taking confidence into games. But they know their limitations, and they will probably be highlighted in the match against Italy. They will probably spend a lot of time chasing the ball, chasing shadows and hunting down long balls to try and get in behind the Italian defence. They may have the speed over the Italians, but they will not have the edge in any other department. With their final game to come against qualification chasing Paraguay, the Kiwis may not have the chance to add to their one point gained so far.

Match Verdict – Italy to win 1.22 at Bet365

Well, the odds are stacked the Kiwis in this one, and rightly so. Italian will be happy enough to walk out of the stadium with a 1-0 win, as it will mean that they are steadily growing and building momentum. It is highly unlikely that you will see a vastly explosive attacking display from Italy, even though they should massively outclass the New Zealanders, that is because it is not their way. It is not their style to push and push and run up the goal tally. They should be fairly comfortable during the match, although they may have to deal with some physical tackles coming in from the Kiwi midfield. Italy will control possession and run the game, and even with their supposed aging legs, should be able to physically outlast the Kiwis, making the second half their best chance of getting ahead.

Match Odds

Italy – 1.22 at Bet365
Draw – 6.5 at SkyBet
New Zealand – 17.0 at Totesport

FootballBookmakers.info Value Bet: Italy to win by one goal 4.0 at Ladbrokes

 

Current Italy v New Zealand Odds:

 

 

Italy V Paraguay

Kick-off: Monday, 14th June – 19:30 GMT
Stadium: Green Point Stadium, Cape Town
Referee: Benito Archundia (Mexico)
Group F

 

Italy

The Italians have quietly gone about their preparations ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, ahead of their defence of the title they won four years ago in Germany. You wouldn’t have thought Italy were the defending champions though, as their price with many bookmakers to retain their crown is enormous for a team which has a proven track record in major tournaments, as well as winning the FIFA World Cup on three other occasions. They’ll need a good start though in order to kick-start their defence and they should get it against the team most likely to challenge them for top spot supremacy in Group F.

Marcello Lippi, who masterminded Italy’s 2006 World Cup triumph, guided the Italians through a visibly easy group which contained only Republic of Ireland in terms of challengers for the automatic qualifying spot. Italy finished top by a clear six point margin though and ended up not losing a single qualifier en route to South Africa. And despite their impeccable qualifying record of seven wins, three draws and no defeats, the Azzurri are still some way out in the outright market (16/1 General). That’s outstanding value for a team with four World Cup victories under their belts (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006) and will begin their South Africa journey as the current holders of the trophy. Moreover, the Italians are one of just two nations ever to have successfully defended their crown, doing so back in 1938 to which Brazil responded with back-to-back tournaments wins in 1958 and 1962.

As per usual, there are a number of golden oldies in the Italy squad, as coach Marcello Lippi opts once more for experienced and reliability rather than take a risk on some youth and exuberance. Among those travelling will be Fabio Cannvaro, who lifted the FIFA World Cup as captain in 2006, while the familiar faces of Buffon, Pirlo, Zambrotta and Gilardino were all named. In tournaments gone by, Italy have had several problems scoring goals because their strikeforce simply hasn’t been strong enough. On paper, their forwards look just as unproven as they did four years ago in Germany. Not one of the five forwards named has any flair or the ability to skin a defender and manufacture a chance of his own. Once again Italy will either need their midfielders and defenders to take some of the pressure off the forwards by assisting the forwards with goals, or the likes of Pirlo, De Rossi and Camronesi, the play-makers in the Italy team, will need to improve their service into the forwards.

Italy were never at full capacity during the 2006 finals even at the group stage where they topped their group above USA, Ghana and Czech Republic. They, like the French, seem to take an age to get going but when they do they’re a genuine force to be reckoned with. The Italians also have this knack of rising to the big occasion and considering their opening game in South Africa looks their hardest on paper, we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Italy jog out of the blocks and produce an almost traditional, unconvincing display but still run out worthy winners, if that makes any sense at all.

 

Paraguay

In what will be the country’s eighth World Cup appearance, Paraguay will be aiming to make the best possible start on Tuesday although face an uphill task of trying to get something out of a game with the reigning world champions, Italy. There’s little doubt they would have wished for a more gentle start to proceedings but after their Italy assignments comes games against Slovakia and New Zealand, to which the Guaranies will fancy their chances of picking up six points from those two group encounters.

In their seven previous World Cup’s, Paraguay have bypassed the group stage on three occasions and are actually bidding to make it three from four in South Africa. At the ’98 and ’02 finals, Paraguay went out at the Round of 16 stage but came up short four years ago in Germany, a tournament which their match day 1 opponents won. Their group this time around, Group F, is a lot easier than that of their last and they will be confident of regaining their touch when it comes to handling the challenges presented to them in the crucial group stage of the competition.

Paraguay are under the management of an Argentinian in Gerado Martino, who played a significant part in not only getting Paraguay to South Africa but in some style as well. Not only did they qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup a shade cosily, not only did they enjoy several weeks on top of the CONMEBOL standings but they sailed through to the finals in some style, finishing third and a point behind South America’s most successful footballing nation, Brazil. Granted Paraguay didn’t score a staggeringly high amount of goals – 24 in 18 qualifiers – but they did remain very tight and well organised in defence and finishing qualifying with the second best defensive record in South America, second only to Brazil who conceded five less with eleven.

Our only niggle with Paraguay is their heavy reliance on some of their key players and that were a number of their stars to get injured early on, their lack of strength in depth would likely lead to an early departure. The stand out individual is, of course, Man City’s Roque Santa Cruz (69 Caps, 21 Goals) but the man currently in form is Dortmund forward Lucas Barrios, who in his first three internationals racked up three goals, this being directly before the South African finals. Add as well the ever consistent Nelson Valdez and Benfica’s spot-kick king Oscar Cardozo and you’re beginning to see why so many are sticking a few shillings on Paraguay springing a surprise this summer.

 

Match Verdict: Italy to WIN – 2.10 Bet365

Over the years, opposing the dependable Italians has been a quick fire method to landing yourself in the poor house. Few envisaged them lifting the trophy four years ago in Germany, even more so after some unconvincing and nervy displays in the group stage, but they have this knack of winning games in a clinical manner. Rarely do they over excel and leave the viewers out of breathe, but at the same time they’re ultra consistent and we wouldn’t be at all surprised if Lippi’s Azzurri ran out marginal winners over a Paraguay side which impressed through qualifying.

Italy don’t do conceding, with Buffon especially shrewd between the sticks and it was the Italian shot-stopper which had a hand in Italy’s fourth World Cup win at Germany four years ago as he conceded just two goals in seven games. There’s little doubt that the Juventus keeper is one of the best at what he does, which is keeping out the opponent at all costs. As we’ve said on many occasions, the Italians are often clinical and with Buffon between the sticks, one goal maybe enough.

 

Match Odds:

Italy – 2.10 Bet365
Draw – 3.30 totesport
Paraguay – 4.30 Boylesports

FootballBookmakers.info Value Bet: Italy to WIN to NIL – 3.10 Bet365